Anticipation

The lesson “Maximum Effort is Required” from 2 Peter 3 is concerned with how our anticipation of Christ’s return affects our daily living. One way to illustrate anticipation is to take a new bottle of Heinz ketchup with you to class. As you start your lesson, open the bottle cap and hold it upside down as you talk. Believe me, it will take a good while before it comes rolling out! Everyone will watch in anticipation.

As another way to model “anticipation” and its affect on living, modify this anticipation/reaction guide to fit this lesson and have members complete it before and after the lesson.

For example, fill in the guide with seven (7) statements (see below). Members will write an A or D indicating they agree/disagree beside each statement before you teach. Teach the lesson, and then have members respond again (A/D). If the seven statements are intriguing, members will listen and react to your lesson in anticipation of hearing your answer to each of the seven statements. That is, they will “live in anticipation”, which models how Christians should live in view of the imminent return of Christ.

Seven sample statements (or make up your own):

1. The “last days” Peter mentions refers to the final days in the tribulation period leading up to Christ’s return
2. The Bible teaches two different “Second Comings” of Christ (1 Thes 4, Matt 24)
3. Relying on the truth of “all things continue as they have since the beginning”, uniformitarians argue that the present is the key to past
4. The Genesis flood is an example of God’ intervention in human history
5. You didn’t want me to make up all seven did you?
6. You add your statement here
7. and here!